


Life or Magic

by themadmage



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Brief and then Aftermath, Child Abuse, I am determined for Ron Weasley to come out a good friend in this story, Magical Contracts, Sirius Black Lives, Squibs, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, Work In Progress, even though it's a fourth year AU so he's off to a rough start
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-11 10:02:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19926274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themadmage/pseuds/themadmage
Summary: Harry Potter has always loved magic, but when the cost may be his life he finds himself unwilling to pay.Or, Harry Potter is a little less brave in his fourth year, and decides that the Triwizard Tournament isn't worth risking his life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I finally learned how to put a chapter note on the first chapter without it being on the whole story!
> 
> I meant to post this yesterday, for Harry's birthday, but time got away from me. Happy belated 39th birthday, Harry Potter!
> 
> Also, I told Vivacia18 in a comment awhile ago that I would write a Ron-positive story one day, and this is that story despite the rough start. So to Vivacia, I really hope you see and enjoy this story!

Harry entered the Gryffindor common room - after the Halloween feast, after the choosing of the champions, after the meeting in the antechamber - to the cheers and congratulations from his housemates. Each repetition of "How'd you do it, mate?" caused his stomach to sink lower as he fought through the crowd in search of his friends. Just as Harry caught sight of Ron, yet another older Gryffindor stopped him to congratulate him on defeating Dumbledore's age line. Yet again, Harry started to deny entering himself in the tournament.

"Don't bother asking how," Ron spat at them, startling Harry with the venom in his voice. "He didn't even tell his _friends_."

Before Harry could properly respond, Ron whirled around and barreled past several people on his way to the boys' dorm, ignoring Harry's calls as he went. The room was suddenly subdued, its occupants uncomfortable with watching such a well-known, close friendship crumble before their eyes. Harry looked around with wild eyes until he spotted Hermione, and pushed his way through to her without giving anyone else an opportunity to interfere. He might have lost Ron - for now, hopefully temporarily - but if he couldn't get through to her and was left totally alone Harry didn't know what he'd do.

"Hermione," he pleaded, pulling her towards a quieter corner.

"Can you get out of it?" she asked without preamble.

Harry's face lit up briefly with hope. "You believe that I didn't do it?"

"Of course I do," Hermione said with no small amount of scorn, as if it was ridiculous that he'd ask. "I saw the look on your face when your name was called. Ron knows too, or he will when he takes a moment to think about it. He's just jealous."

"Well," Harry said with a sigh, "hopefully he thinks it through soon. Moody says this is probably a plot to kill me. As far as getting out of it - I need your help."

"Anything, Harry," Hermione responded, clasping a comforting hand on Harry's arm.

He took a deep breath, heartened by Hermione's unwavering support. "The judges've said that I have to compete, because the goblet creates a 'magically binding contract'. But no one has said what that even means. Will I _die_ if I don't do it? Does it have loopholes, like a regular contract? Is it like the imperius curse, where the contract will force me to compete, and if it is can I resist it in the same way? I just don't know, Hermione."

"Harry," Hermione said, biting her lip, "Are you sure that you want to mess with this? It sounds risky."

"I just want to research it, for now," he assured her. "If Moody is right about someone wanting this tournament to kill me - and it's the only thing that makes sense - then staying in the tournament is risky too. I need to have all the information before I decide anything."

"Okay." Hermione took a steadying breath. "Okay. I can help you research magical contracts. We'll go to the library after classes tomorrow."

" _Thank you_ , Hermione," Harry breathed. "I'm going to head up to bed. Maybe, Ron-"

"Give him a little space tonight," Hermione interrupted. She paused, then. "He'll come around, but- Well, it's worth it to be _your_ friend, of course, but it isn't always easy to be _Harry Potter's_ friend, you know?"

Harry sighed, silently cursing the Wizarding World's mania over the boy-who-lived. "Yeah, alright. I'll just get some sleep then. G'night, Hermione."

"Here!" Hermione exclaimed softly, her voice colored with the excitement of an answered question. The suddenness of it startled Harry slightly. Hermione was on her fifth book about magical contracts, while Harry was just beginning his second. The girl really was a research machine, and Harry was so glad that she was there to help him. All they'd managed to learn so far was that a magical contract was driven by intent instead of language, which eliminated any loopholes they could take advantage of. Whoever had enchanted the goblet was long dead, so there was no way to know if their intent would allow an unwilling participant to remove themselves from the tournament. It seemed like Hermione had finally found something related to breaking a contract, though, so they could move forward.

Her face fell as she read further down the page. "It isn't good news," Hermione told Harry simply.

He just waited for her to continue. Of course there would be some consequence to deter people from breaking a magical contract. It was only a matter of what it was.

After a moment, Hermione read Harry the passage from the book. "A person judged to be breaking a magical contract is classified as an Oath-Breaker. I read that, already, which is how I started looking into what being an Oath-Breaker meant. The consequences for an Oath-Breaker are social, legal, and magical in nature. Oath-Breakers are typically considered untrustworthy, and are shunned in most circles of society or business. An Oath-Breaker may not hold Ministry offices or enter into future contracts or oaths. Healers have the right to refuse treatment to an Oath-Breaker. The most severe consequence for the Oath-Breaker, however, is the damage done to the magical core by the contract itself. The magical core of the Oath-Breaker is fractured, leaving them with only near-Squib levels of accessible magic. The exact amount of magic an Oath-Breaker is able to access varies by individuals, but accessing a fractured magical core is invariably painful. This damage is not reversible with any known method of Healing, nor will it heal naturally."

Harry just looked at Hermione, his mouth open slightly in shock. It hadn't sounded unbearable, until the last bit. The worst thing would have been being refused magical Healing, but if he found a Healer who wasn't bothered by the circumstances then even that would have been circumvented. Losing his _magic_ , though-

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said miserably. 

"'S okay," he responded dully, before taking a few moments to review what she'd said in his mind and absorb the information. Unlike Hermione, Harry couldn't immediately comprehend textbook jargon. After a minute, he nodded. "Okay," he paused. "Okay. It's bad, but-"

"But?" Hermione shrieked, only to lower her voice to an urgent whisper at a sound _shush_ from Madame Pince. "Harry, you _couldn't_ ," she begged him.

"I don't want to _die_ , Hermione," Harry insisted quietly, eyeing the front desk where Pince was still watching them with a sharp gaze. Hermione didn't immediately respond, so he continued. "It isn't a good option, but it's still a better option than dying. I lived without magic for ten years before Hogwarts, and I'd hate to give it up but I think I'd be in a better place now than I was then."

Hermione made a small questioning noise, and Harry smiled.

"I've got friends now. You, and Ron once he comes around. Sirius. Even Professor Lupin. I wouldn't be alone. And I'd still have _some_ magic, if there were an emergency. And surely not every Healer would refuse to treat me. Even as an Oath-Breaker I'd still be Harry Potter.

"I just don't like it, Harry," Hermione said with a sigh, and then hesitated. "But it is better than dying. Oh, I wish you weren't in this situation at all!"

Harry smiled ruefully at her. "Me too. But-" he sighed. "I'm not going to drop out of the tournament today. As bad as the consequences would be, it will have to be a last resort. But if it comes down to my life or my magic, it's not even a choice."

Hermione pulled him into a tight hug, and clung there for quite some time.

Harry tried, over and over, to talk to Ron and explain the situation with the tournament to him. Each time Harry approached him, he walked away. He even abandoned a meal partially eaten when Harry tried to talk to him, something nearly unheard of for Ron. If he couldn't leave the area, he staunchly ignored Harry's existence until Harry gave up. It was frustrating, bordering on infuriating, but Harry wasn't willing to give up on his first friend just yet.

Ron very clearly regretted his outburst of jealousy on Halloween. Hermione had told Harry that, and Harry could see it if he looked carefully. Now, it was just his stupid, stubborn pride keeping him from apologizing. 

Hermione was awkwardly pulled between the two. At first Harry was relieved that Ron wasn't angry with her for continuing to talk to him. Now, he felt guilty that she was caught in the middle. Hermione insisted that it wasn't his fault - he was trying to repair the rift, and Ron was the one perpetuating this argument. Once, Harry had suggested it would be easier for her if she distanced herself from him. She'd just _looked_ at him, expressionless, until he got so uncomfortable that he apologized for voicing the thought. For better or for worse, she wasn't going to abandon either of her friends and leave them alone. Instead, she developed a schedule of when each one would have the opportunity to see her.

A week before the first task was supposed to take place, Hagrid took Harry under his invisibility cloak to show him the _guests_ in the Forbidden Forest. The next day, Harry carefully placed a book on various dragon species in front of Hermione, four bookmarks identifying the species in the woods. "I can't do it, Hermione."

It took Hermione a moment to process what he meant, to go back to their conversation in the library. In a small voice she asked, "A-are you sure?"

"Yeah," Harry breathed. "I don't know any of the spells that this book suggests to subdue a dragon, and I don't have the time to learn them reliably. There's no way I can walk in to meet a dragon unprepared - Hermione, I'm fourteen and this tournament was designed for adults."

She nodded, apparently debating with herself for a moment, then flung herself at Harry and wrapped him in a hug. "You shouldn't have to make this choice," she whispered after a few moments.

Harry hugged her back tightly. "I shouldn't have had to save the stone or kill a basilisk, either," he mumbled. "When has that ever stopped anything?"

Harry sat in a tent with the three champions - no longer 'the other three', but no one knew that yet besides himself and Hermione. Harry had told Cedric Diggory about the dragons as quickly as he'd been able to. Maxime and Karkaroff were both there the night Hagrid had shown them to him, and Harry had stopped expecting adults to behave fairly before he'd begun Hogwarts. Cedric didn't deserve to be the only champion left unaware, and Harry really hoped that Hogwarts would win this thing. 

He'd spent every day since making the decision to drop out casting spells, knowing he'd miss it dearly. He hadn't written a single essay all week, and Hermione hadn't even tried to make him. He wouldn't be able to attend Hogwarts after this, so his grades were no longer important. Late last night, he'd cast his patronus charm one final time and said a painful goodbye to Prongs. 

Bagman and Crouch came in to kick off the task, and each of the champions drew a model dragon from a bag to determine the species they would face. Unaware of his plans, they'd saved Harry for last. He was horrified to realize that he would have been facing the Hungarian Horntail, objectively the most fearsome of the lot. Able to shoot fire for fifty feet hot enough to burn a person to a crisp in seconds, not safe from behind either because of the spiked tail, and _incredibly_ aggressive. They held the bag out to him, and Harry just shook his head.

"You have to compete, Potter," Crouch said testily. "We discussed this already."

"Now, Barty," Bagman cheerfully reprimanded him. "I'm sure it's just a spot of nerves, give the boy a moment."

Rather than address either of them directly, Harry drew his wand and placed the tip against his chest, just like the book on magical contracts had described. Crouch stiffened, immediately aware of what Harry was doing.

"I, Harry James Potter," he began. Bagman realized what was happening and reached out as if to stop him, but Crouch grabbed the man's arm. They couldn't interfere, Harry knew. "In full awareness of the magical and legal consequences, choose to exit this magical contract and live forever as an Oath-Breaker." He took a deep breath. No going back, now. "As I will it, so be it done."

There was a cracking inside him, as though he'd broken a bone but so much deeper, and Harry knew that it had worked. His core was fractured, and he was free from the magical contract. He was an Oath-Breaker.


	2. Chapter 2

Whispers followed as Harry climbed the stairs in the stands and searched. He found Hermione just where she'd said she would be, with Ron and a woman that Harry didn't recognize but expected all the same. At least, he assumed that was the solicitor that Hermione had helped him contact, and not a random woman. 

"How did it go?" Hermione asked nervously when he dropped into the seat next to her.

Harry glanced at Ron, who was looking at him like he had two heads. "It hurt," he admitted. A pause. "Still does, actually."

"The pain from the initial fracture will fade," the woman said calmly from Harry's other side. "The amount of time it takes will depend on the severity of the fracture, which is also what determines how much magic you'll be able access. A Healer can determine the specifics for you with a scan, if you find someone willing to treat you. When will you require my services?"

"Crouch said there would be a meeting after the task. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

The woman, who Harry was now sure was his solicitor Annalisia Stirling, nodded and turned her attention to the field. Hermione had found her for Harry - she had a brother who had been forced to become an Oath-Breaker like Harry and often took on similar cases. She would attend any meetings or legal proceedings to ensure that Harry lost as little as possible due to the designation.

Ron, who had been staring at Harry from Hermione's other side since he arrived, finally spoke up. "W-what are you doing here?"

Harry considered waiting for an apology before addressing his friend, but didn't want to be that petty. He knew from Hermione that Ron had been feeling guilty and miserable for ages. He refused to meet the redhead's eyes as he spoke, though. "I formally dropped out of the tournament."

"But what about the contract?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged.

"You'll be an Oath-Breaker!" Ron exclaimed, looking horrified.

Harry only gave a small nod.

Ron hesitated. "You didn't- it's not because of me, is it?"

"No," Harry said with a small shake of his head. "I never wanted to be in the tournament to start with, and it wasn't worth dying over."

Ron was about to respond, but at that moment Ludo Bagman's amplified voice echoed through the arena. "Welcome, one and all, to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament! We have a small change in the program to announce - Harry James Potter, the unexpected fourth champion, has elected to drop out citing undue risk to life and limb." Another burst of whispers broke out around the arena, but Bagman paid them no mind. "Without further delay, let the task begin! Today, each of our f-three champions has been tasked with retrieving a golden egg from a mother dragon! This egg contains the only clue the champions will receive for the second task, so it is vital that they succeed today. Points will be awarded based on time taken to retrieve the egg, and the impressiveness of the magic used! Damage to the real eggs in the nest and injuries to the champions will result in point deductions. First up is Hogwarts Champion Cedric Diggory, versus the Swedish Shortsnout!"

Harry sat nervously in the Headmaster's office following the task. The crowding was making Harry nervous. In attendance were himself, the headmaster, Annalisia Stirling, Barty Crouch, Ludo Bagman, Madame Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall, and two Ministry officials Harry didn't recognize from the Department of Education and the Department of Registration. The headmaster and McGonagall would represent Hogwarts, Bagman and Crouch represented the Triwizard Tournament as the holders of the broken contract, and Stirling would represent Harry. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous - the entire point of hiring a solicitor was so that she would handle this in his place. All he had to do was agree to things once the details were worked out. Honestly, since he couldn't sign contracts or make oaths, he hardly even had to do that.

"I have to say, my boy, I'm surprised and a little disappointed with the course of action you've chosen. Especially as you didn't confide in me."

Harry looked up from his lap for just a moment. "You'd have tried to stop me," he mumbled. "You never told me it was even an option."

The headmaster looked at him sharply. "Yes, where exactly did you learn of it?"

"The library," Harry mumbled again.

"Frankly, Headmaster," Annalisia cut in, "the circumstances leading up to Harry's taking the Oath-Breaker's path are irrelevant to this meeting. We are here to determine Harry's future legal and educational status, not to discuss the past." 

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "Yes, very well. First, Madame Pomfrey, it would be ideal if you would scan Harry's core and determine if he maintains access to enough magic to continue as a Hogwarts student."

Madame Pomfrey nodded, and began the scan without a hint of protest towards his Oath-Breaker status. Harry wasn't surprised - she'd treated Professor Lupin as well, and Healers weren't required to treat werewolves either. Doing this scan was slightly irregular - most Oath-Breakers automatically lost their eligibility to attend school if they hadn't graduated yet. Dumbledore had always paid close attention to Harry, though, and given him leeway that others didn't have, so it followed that he'd get one last chance to stay at Hogwarts.

"Mr. Potter maintains access to approximately enough magic to cast first- and possibly second-year spells. The pain from the initial core fracture should fade away completely in three to five days."

"Not enough to continue attendance, as expected," Stirling said simply. "My client will lose eligibility to attend Hogwarts. As he has not been expelled, he may retain his wand rights by employing a magical tutor and registering that tutor with the Ministry of Magic."

Discussion continued in this vein for some time. Stirling worked efficiently, with knowledge born from repetition of cases like his, and took no excuses from the others present when they attempted to press for harsher punishments or veer off-topic. Much of the discussion went over Harry's head; he was so glad that Hermione had suggested he hire Ms. Stirling. If he hadn't, they probably would have sent him to _prison_ and he wouldn't have been able to argue his way out. At least, that's what it felt like.

As long at the negotiations took, the results were deceptively simple. Harry would have a month to find, employ, and register a tutor before he'd be charged with truancy and have his wand snapped. He could perform magic only in the presence of his tutor until his seventeenth birthday. Headmaster Dumbledore would maintain the position of Harry's magical guardian unless someone contested the guardianship and won. And of course, as he'd already known, he couldn't enter into any contracts and could be refused service or treatment by shopkeepers and Healers at their discretion.

Paperwork was filed, which Harry had to sign to show he understood - _and how exactly did that differ from a contract,_ he wondered as he signed. Embarrassingly, before Harry was allowed to leave the office, the representative from the Department of Records placed a permanent brand on the back of his wand hand. This hadn't been in any of the books he and Hermione had read, but Ms. Stirling had warned him about it. The brand was a stylized O.B. which took up most of the back of his hand and stood out strongly in bright red. This brand ensured that everyone he came into contact with would know what he was, and could exercise their rights to deny him what he needed or wanted from them. 

The Ministry and tournament representatives left as soon as their work was done. Madame Pomfrey had left as soon as she gave the reports on her scan to return to the hospital wing, so that left only Harry, Ms. Stirling, Professor McGonagall, and Headmaster Dumbledore.

"What's done is done, but I have to say, Mr. Potter," the headmaster began gravely, "that I thought you'd be brave enough to stand through this obstacle."

Harry didn't know what to say, but Ms. Stirling bristled beside him. "Is it not brave, Headmaster, to stand up for yourself when no one else will, despite knowing you will have to live with the consequences for the rest of your life? Mr. Potter felt that to participate in this tournament would be his death. Dying is sometimes the easier path, but Mr. Potter has chosen to live the difficult life he now looks forward to."

"You were a Hufflepuff in school, were you not, Ms. Stirling?" Dumbledore asked, the slightest amount of condescension in his voice. No one, it seemed, was immune to the disdain that surrounded Hufflepuff house.

"I was," Ms. Stirling responded simply, obviously ignoring the slight. "And I am _loyal_ to my brother. My brother who was a Gryffindor and who, like Mr. Potter, is now an Oath-Breaker. Besides, Headmaster, isn't it you who says that we must choose between what is right and what is easy?"

The headmaster looked chastened, while Professor McGonagall watched Ms. Stirling with something akin to pride.

"Very well, then," Dumbledore said after a few tense moments. "I see the truth in what you have said. Mr. Potter shall hear no further scolding from me on the topic." He looked to Harry. "You'll spend one final night in Gryffindor Tower, if that is amenable to you. Have your things packed by noon tomorrow, and I will arrange transportation home for you."

Harry stiffened at the mention of _home_. He hadn't- that was one thing he hadn't considered at all. The Dursleys. If he couldn't stay at Hogwarts, he'd be sent to the Dursleys. They'd be absolutely miserable to be with, and he had no idea how he could manage to employ a tutor while living on Privet Drive. Still, he had no argument against it that the headmaster hadn't heard before, so he reluctantly nodded his agreement before bidding the professors goodnight and exiting the tower with Ms. Stirling. 

"Thank you again, Ms. Stirling," he said to her once they were away from the office.

Ms. Stirling's countenance had changed since they left the office, and Harry could easily see her as a Hufflepuff now. They were meant to be friendly. The cool blankness she had displayed from their initial meeting and through negotiations and the tightly held fury that had replaced it in the face of the Headmaster's rudeness were gone - though there was still some leftover indignation - and replaced with a soft kindness. "There's no need to thank me. And you can call me Annie, if you'd like, when we aren't looking to intimidate anyone. And Harry-" she stopped walking, and Harry drew up short beside her. They'd arrived at the base of Gryffindor Tower. "Owl me if you ever need more legal help. If you need someone to sign a contract on your behalf - that is also a service I provide, with proper assurance."

Harry nodded. "Thanks- Annie. I probably will, at some point."

"I'll see you again, Harry." Annie smiled, and then turned towards the path to the entrance hall and left. Harry took another deep breath, unsure if he wanted to rub at his chest or newly-branded hand, and climbed the stairs to the tower.

The packed common room hushed uncomfortably as Harry walked in. Hermione rushed to his side, with Ron awkwardly following behind her. "How did it go, Harry?" she asked desperately.

"Pretty much as we expected," he responded, nervously looking at his now-former housemates as they stared. "Annie Stirling was brilliant- could we do this somewhere less... public?"

Hermione nodded, and looked around the room as though taking inventory. "I think a couple of your roommates are upstairs, but it might be the best place to go."

Harry agreed, and the three climbed the stairs before anyone could say anything to Harry. Neville and Dean were there, but neither of them said anything as the trio entered. "So, Dumbledore tried to get me to feel guilty about it, and Annie was having none of it."

" _Professor_ Dumbledore, Harry, and you should call her Ms. Stirling, too. She's a professional."

Harry smiled at Hermione. She'd never change. "Annie told me to call her that when we aren't looking to intimidate. Did you know she was a Hufflepuff? She's brilliant. And as for Dumbledore, well, he's not my professor anymore, is he?"

"What was that?" Dean asked from his bed by the wall. He hadn't been paying much attention before - Hermione in the dorm with her friends was so commonplace it didn't draw any attention by now. "What do you mean Dumbledore isn't your professor anymore, did he get sacked?"

"Harry's an Oath-Breaker now," Neville said quietly, then grimaced. "Sorry, mate."

"'S fine," Harry mumbled. "It's true. I've got to get used to it."

Neville explained the situation to Dean, who wasn't familiar with it as a muggle-born, while Harry continued to tell Hermione and Ron about his meeting in the Headmaster's office.

After a few minutes, at Hermione's urging, Harry started to pack while they talked. Harry did _not_ want to be packing. It made the fact that he'd be going back to the Dursleys tomorrow too real. The fact that this was his last night in Gryffindor Tower, at Hogwarts, _home_. Horrifyingly, his eyes began to sting and he ducked his head into his trunk while he scrubbed at them until the threatening tears retreated. He'd known what he was getting himself into when he made his choice, and he was going to have to live with it now. He flexed his still-stinging hand, branded for life. There was no going back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Oath-Breaker brand is very loosely based on the Non-Compliant symbol used in the comic book series Bitch Planet. Of course, the brand here is more fantasy styled than sci-fi. Bitch Planet is very good, from the little I've gotten to read so far. It does include some adult themes, but if you're into that sort of thing and mature enough for it then I highly recommend it. 
> 
> Did anyone catch the quick nod to Hamilton: An American Musical? Paraphrased, of course, because the word-for-word quote wouldn't have fit the scene.


End file.
